Bangkok--26 May--UNISBKK Officials from 57 countries and from international aid agencies meeting in Yangon on Sunday called on Myanmar's ruling junta to allow international assessment of the short- and long-term needs of an estimated 2.4 million people affected by Cyclone Nargis three weeks ago. Osamu Uno, Japan's vice minister of foreign affairs, said Japan would dispatch a team soon to conduct an assessment of the medium and longer term needs of the cyclone survivors. He also said a preparatory team from Japan will arrive in Yangon on Sunday to examine the situation in the hope Myanmar will accept a fast dispatch of medical personnel. Japan, he said, is ''very concerned about the spread of infectious diseases, especially at the start of the rainy season'' and that the team will visit the worst-hit areas and will discuss sanitary and other matters with Myanmar officials. A Japanese survey mission, also arriving Sunday, will examine the best way to remove sunken vessels from Yangon port and get it functioning normally again, Uno added. He also outlined Japan's aid to Myanmar to date, including an emergency grant of $10 million from which $2.5 million went to the World Food Program for rice distribution; $2.7 million to UNICEF for restoration and digging of wells, safe disposal of waste and distribution of medicines; and $1.7 million to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees for distribution of daily necessities and building materials. Another $1.7 million has been given as ''emergency assistance in kind'' for relief goods and materials. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Scot Marciel told the more than 370 delegates to the one-day conference that his country has already offered $20.5 million in humanitarian assistance, and is prepared to offer much more. ''However, in order to do so, the (Myanmar) government must allow international disaster assistance experts to conduct thorough assessments of the situation in the affected areas to determine how we might best contribute to the humanitarian relief effort and to accelerate delivery of distribution of needed assistance,'' Marciel said. ''In addition, we urge the authorities to allow international humanitarian workers unhindered access to the affected areas and approve the use of outside logistical resources to expedite and expand the flow of humanitarian assistance to all those in need.'' His comments were pointedly directed at Myanmar's ruling generals who have thwarted most international relief efforts and who have left shiploads of relief goods sitting offshore on U.S., British and French naval vessels because the junta refuses to allow any foreign military personnel to help the cyclone victims. Lt. Gen. Thein Sein, Myanmar's prime minister, told the conference that international aid ''with no strings attached'' was welcome, but only civilians would be allowed to take part in any expanded aid operation. ''Donation of relief supplies for the cyclone victims of Myanmar will be accepted through land route, by sea or by air. For relief supplies coming by sea, I wish to inform that these supplies can be sent by civilian ships to the port of Yangon,'' he said, an apparent rejection of any help from the military vessels offshore. He further said that after aid reaches relief hubs at Yangon airport and the port, ''the government will facilitate transportation'' of the supplies to the affected regions. To date, red tape and bureaucracy in Yangon has been blamed for a breakdown in transport of relief to areas outside Yangon and in the Irrawaddy River delta and it is as yet unclear if the junta is ready to remove the logjams that have been blamed for preventing any assistance at all reaching more than half the 2.4 million people suffering in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis. His comment that Myanmar ''will consider'' allowing outside groups to undertake rehabilitation and reconstruction work on a ''township by township'' basis did not seem to suggest the logistical problems are likely to disappear soon. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, who wrested a promise from Myanmar's top general Friday to finally allow international assistance into the country, opened the Yangon meeting that was co-chaired by U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes and ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan. The United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations co-sponsored the conference. Myanmar's secretive generals suggested before the meeting that they want nearly $11 billion in immediate aid and for long-term reconstruction, but the pledges were not close to that figure. Among the offers, the European Community upped its 46 million euros ($72 million) pledged earlier by 17 million euros, China offered $11 million, Australia A$25 million ($24 million) and the Philippines upped its pledge from $10 million to $20 million. The United Nations' emergency appeal issued shortly after the early May storm hit Myanmar called for $201 million and it reportedly has about $50 million so far, with another $42.5 million pledged. Even though Sr. Gen. Than Shwe promised Ban on Friday that foreign aid workers will be welcome in the country and allowed free access to bring relief to the stricken in the hard-hit areas around Yangon and in the Irrawaddy delta, initial reports say little has yet changed on the ground. Ban presided Saturday over the launch of an air hub at Bangkok's Don Mueang airport as the center for outside humanitarian relief efforts led by the United Nations and ASEAN, but Yangon airport is said to still be a chokepoint preventing relief goods from getting quickly to the hardest-hit areas in the Irrawaddy delta. After the meeting, Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama said a tripartite core group of the United Nations, Myanmar and ASEAN will handle the funding for rehabilitation and reconstruction. ''Accountability is the key issue'' of concern among donors and the core group, which will set up an office in Yangon, will tackle that issue, he added. Noppadon also indicated no direct donations will be made to Myanmar's junta. Although he called the meeting a ''big leap forward'' for both sides, he admitted challenges remain as Myanmar reiterated that entry visas for foreign aid workers will be considered only on a case-by-case basis. According to official figures announced by Myanmar's state-run TV, the toll from the cyclone is already nearly 78,000 dead and almost 56,000 people missing.